The traditional turkmen carpets and carpet products are the hand-woven woollen textile goods of ornamental art with quadrangular shape in different sizes with dense texture ornamented with characteristic colored patterns pertaining each separately to one of five main turkmen tribes (tekke, yomut, ersary, saryk and salor). Their designs form patterns from clear linear geometric ornaments (dots, lines and figures). Compositional decision of the turkmen carpets has characteristic features: the central field with major patterns ("gels") in octagonal forms is limited with the borders, patterns which differ from that of the central field. The alternation of recurrence of designs represented with combination of the belt and centric ornamental compositions. Reality surrounding a carpet weaver (local flora, fauna and environment) has been reflected in a combination of the threads, pictures and colours creating carpet designs. The turkmen carpets are created on horizontal or vertical looms mainly using different coloured wool threads. Weavers use both types of knotting; double knots with double weft or one-and-a half knot with double weft. Carpets serve both as a floor covering and a wall decoration functions and substitute furniture to satisfy everyday aesthetic needs of turkmen people. There are also special carpets woven for the birth of a child, for wedding ceremonies, for prayers and for mourning rituals. Carpet products such as chuvals (sacks), khorjuns (saddle-bags), torbas (bags) are destined for clothing, transportation of various household paraphernalia and used for decorations of camels, horses, nomad tents, wedding processions etc.

Turkmenistan 2019

The traditional dance forms of the Malay communities in Singapore are wide-ranging and diverse, and they include zapin, joget, asli and inang, amongst others. Most of these traditional dance forms were already popular in Singapore during the early 20th century. Today, they are performed at festive events, staged as productions, and also taught to the younger generation through performing arts schools.

It is a combined genre consisting of a dutar making craftsmanship with creative abilities including a composing of music and performing of dutar’s music sat down accompanying by singing. A dutar is a two-stringed, long necked lute consisting of a pear-shaped resonator (body) covered by thin wooden sounding board. The turkmen dutar’s resonator and soundboard are made from mulberry wood prepared from dried bole of the tree no less than 50 years old and the neck of apricot wood. Most melody’ notes are played on the upper of the dutar’s two strings with the four fingers of the left hand. The dutar is an inseparable part of culture of the turkmen people where it is found in all of the main genres of turkmen music and singing. Performers of the turkmen dutar‘s music and singers are divided into 2 groups. A dutar player named as a dutarchy is performing only dutar’s music. A bagshy is a peformer of dutar’s music accompanying by singing of the different genres of poetry which also subdivided into 3 types according to their performing styles and repertiores. A yanamachy bagshy is only a singer accompanied by music performed by dutarchy. A tirmechi bagshy is a performer of different genres of the turkmen music accompanying by singing. A dessanchy bagshy is an epic perfomer incorporating narrating, singing, vocal improvisation which in its performances a prose and poetry are alternated.

Turkmenistan 2021

In 1995, the Sub-commission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) – the lead agency mandated to preserve, promote and develop Philippine culture and the arts – affirmed the need to safeguard traditional knowledge and practices from rapid cultural devaluation brought about by media, tourism, formal education and religion. This paved the way for the creation of The School of Living Traditions (SLT) programme, involving informal, community-managed learning centres where practitioners can transmit their communities’ knowledge, intangible cultural heritage, skills and values to younger generations. The identification of priorities for safeguarding was led by elders, leaders and other members of communities through a series of consultations. In the process, the NCCA provided capacity-building assistance for the mobilization of logistics and other resources needed to establish the learning centres. The SLT programme aims to develop, implement and evaluate community-based measures to safeguard vital traditional cultural knowledge and practices from the potential negative effects of modernization.

Philippines 2021

The title ‘Traditional Ainu Dance’ is defined as dances and songs transmitted among the Ainu people of distinctive cultures in Hokkaido located in the northern area of Japan. Those dances and songs are derived from the life and religion of the Ainu people; some are performed at ceremonies and banquets in local communities, and others privately performed in daily lives. Neither of them is accompanied with musical instruments. They are performed along with songs and handclaps of dancers and participants on site. The Ainu people used to live in a vast area including Hokkaido, the northern part of Honshu, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. Currently, however, most of them live mainly in Hokkaido, and its population is estimated at approximately twenty-four thousand. The Traditional Ainu Dance is transmitted by the seventeen preserving associations established in fifteen cities and towns where the Ainu people live. Allegedly the Ainu culture of today’s style was formed up approximately in the twelfth or thirteenth century. People at that time lived by fishing, hunting and gathering, and they also traded with other areas. In this way of life, the Ainu people have developed such a creed as they believe in deities which are omnipresent at anything related to their lives, namely the nature (the sun, rain, water, fire etc.) including animals and plants. Thus, they often conducted prayers and ceremonies in their daily life. The Traditional Ainu Dance can be performed at these prayers and ceremonies or banquets. ‘Iyomante,’ for example, is the biggest ceremony with the Traditional Ainu Dance for sending a deity disguised as a bear back to heaven. The Ainu people believe that a deity comes down to the human world in disguise of an animal or a plant which is a gift from the deity to be eaten by the human beings. Once people have physically eaten it up, they thank the remaining spirit of this invisible deity for its gift and hold a ceremony to send it back to heaven. During the ceremony people sing and dance. One of the features found in the Ainu performing arts is the imitation of calls and movements of animals and birds. During the ceremony of ‘Iyomante’ people repeatedly imitate calls and sounds accompanied with its movements of a bear, and words are inserted in such repetitions. On the other hand, performing arts which are privately performed in an Ainu daily life contain lullabies, improvisatory lyrical songs, incantations with melodies, and songs accompanied with movements of labours by several persons in a daily life. As mentioned above, the Traditional Ainu Dance is performed at important ceremonies and banquets to the Ainu people and also in their daily life, through which the Ainu people reconfirm the identity and deepen a sense of continuity. Currently, in addition to such ceremonies as mentioned above, the Traditional Ainu Dance is demonstrated at newly projected festivals and events. It is one element of the intangible cultural heritage transmitted from generations to generations and is continuously developed and reproduced according to the situations of each era. The traditional style of the Ainu dances is a big circle of many participants, proceeding right-handed with some fixed movements and singing together. They sing the same song together or in turns, otherwise they sing in a responding way between a chorus leader and the others. Some of those traditional songs are polyphonic; several women sit on a floor in a circle in surrounding a lid of a wooden container, make a rhythm in beating the lid, and sing the same melody with one sound successively delayed. Because there are currently many opportunities to perform it apart from a daily life, some dances and songs have been formed up as independent repertoires in paying due attention to the traditional performing style. As overviewed, they are (i) the imitation of calls and movements of animal, namely ‘crane dance’, ‘fox dance’ and ‘swallow dance’: (ii) the imitation of insects, namely ‘grasshopper dance’: (iii) the ritual one, namely ‘sword dance’ and ‘bow dance’: (iv) the entertaining one: (v) the improvisatory one. Thus, the Traditional Ainu Dance is simple and naive, and often retains the primordial quality inside. In this sense it can illustrate the origin of performing arts.

Japan 2009

Colloquially, a mask often used in artistic mask dance performances to disguise or hide the original appearance is called “Baab” in Dzongkha (Bhutanese language) and in many local dialects. Baab is not only used for masquerade, but represents the appearance and expression of enlightened beings, celestial beings, guardian deities, and some extraordinary human beings who have helped to shape meaningful human life and promote harmonious living, which is why it is also referred to by the honorific title Zhal baab (face mask). Baab comes in many forms, appearances, complexions and with exceptional features that represent transcendent religious meanings and significance. Baab is the product of an art that requires several skills such as religious knowledge including proper proportions, biodiversity as the basic raw materials are woods, craftsmanship, blacksmithing in making tools and finally painting to give the mask the final structure. According to historical texts, the Baab tradition and the performance of the mask dance, usually called Gar-cham, was introduced to Bhutan by Guru Padmasambava in the early 8 th century. Later, it was further developed by eminent Buddhist masters, especially Terton (discoverer of the hidden treasure) Pema Lingpa (1450-1521), who introduced many sacred mask dances and passed on the art of Baab making, which is still recognized and known today for his contribution to the enrichment of Bhutan’s indigenous art and culture. His exceptional art of Baab making and mask dances was later recognized by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651), the head of the state government, and included as one of the of Bhutan’s intangible cultural heritage domain of arts and crafts. Thereafter, the Baab tradition was maintained and enjoyed increasing popularity after the heads of the state government, chief abbots and successive monarchs introduced and authorized other private religious institutions to organize Tshe-chu, Drub-chen, Chod-pa, Rab-ne, Me-wang, Ma-ni, Due-chod (mask dance festivals), etc. throughout the country. In general, the manifestations of Baab can be summarized as; Baab of deities and gods, animals and extraordinary human beings. It is firmly believed that the masks of the deities and gods manifest themselves in various emotional appearances such as; graceful, heroic, abominable, wrathful, compassionate, comical, wondrous, terrifying and petrifying. These expressions can also be divided into four categories: peaceful, inspiring, empowering and angry. There are three types of masks made by Bhutanese artisans: Re baab (paper and cloth mask), Shing baab (wooden mask) and Sing-phye baab (mask made of a mixture of sawdust). However, the former two are ancient technical craft, while the latter is a newer product used mainly for commercial or decorative purposes. Traditionally, Baab are used only for the actual performance or kept as relics after the consecration ceremony has been performed by spiritual masters. It is believed that if these items are not blessed, they are as good as toys and are haunted by the spirits, causing harm to society.

The Long Tong Festival (Going to the Fields Festival) of the Tay people in Dinh Hoa district, Thai Nguyen province is held in the early days of spring to pray for favorable weather, good crops, bountiful harvests, and a prosperous life. The festival is held in the largest and most beautiful fields. The Long Tong Festival includes a ceremony and a festival. The festival will feature many traditional rituals that have existed for a long time, such as: the Tay people's harvest praying ceremony, San Chay, Tich Dien ceremony; the Dao people's blessing praying ceremony, with traditional rituals imbued with the beliefs of the ethnic groups in Dinh Hoa district. During the ceremony, each family prepares a tray of offerings including chicken, pork, boiled eggs, Chung cake, sticky rice, various types of sticky rice cakes, Khao cakes, Lam tea... to offer to the gods. On each tray of offerings, there is a colorful flower-shaped cake and two pairs of cones made of fabric with many colorful tassels and seeds of all kinds. The offering trays of the village are carefully selected, must be larger, more numerous, more beautifully decorated than the offering trays of the families and must include a pig's head. The offering trays are arranged in a straight line, the master of ceremonies (usually a Taoist or Mo master), is called "Pú mo". "Pú mo" stands in front of the offering trays of the village to thank heaven and earth, the gods for blessing the villagers, at the same time the villagers light incense, pour wine. After the prayer of thanks, "Pú mo" continues to pray for rain, an assistant carries a basin of water standing next to it, many others hold palm leaves walking from the worship place to the end of the field. After praying, "Pú mo" sprinkles water around, implying that heaven is sending rain, the villagers gather around, everyone wants to catch those drops of water symbolizing luck. After sprinkling water, "Pú mo" takes seeds from the offering trays and sprinkles them around, the villagers mix those seeds with the seeds they choose to plant. Next, the men will plow the first furrows, while the women will show off their planting skills. After the ceremonies, the villagers will celebrate together, wishing each other good health, good luck, full barns of rice, full yards of pigs and chickens, etc. During the festival, there will be a Tich Dien ceremony, a planting competition, dry puppetry, folk games: throwing cones, lion dances, martial arts, tug of war, stilt walking, tug of war, stick pushing, singing and responding between men and women, etc. The Long Tong Festival (going to the fields) is one of the festivals held annually by the Tay ethnic group in Thai Nguyen, associated with agricultural beliefs, to express respect and gratitude to the gods of the forest, the gods of the mountains, the gods of the sky and the gods of the earth, and the wishes for a prosperous life imbued with the identity of the indigenous Tay people. Through this, the festival activities also contribute to promoting valuable landscapes and historical relics to boost local tourism development. This is a long-standing traditional festival of the Tay people in the Viet Bac region, recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2017.

The art of performing double drums, triple gongs, and quintuple chings is an ingenious combination of three types of musical instruments in specific quantities: two drums (Chi gưl), three gongs (Mí - mother, Mai - sister, and Con - child ) and five chings (Pồng, Pềnh, Pang, Poong, Pếnh). The gong maintains a low tone, deep timbre, and slow tempo. Gongs have a peaceful, gentle, resonant, and distant sound. The vibrant, powerful drums push the chords to a climax. To create sound, artists do not beat the drum with sticks but dance the drum by using four fingers and hands to twist, stroke, and tap on the drum's surface, creating complex tones and rhythms. When performing, two artists wear drums across their stomachs, stand facing each other, their legs dance, and move, and their hands perform the operations rhythmically. Therefore, artists, in addition to being able to play musical instruments and have good pronunciation, must also have good health. In the minds of the Ba Na and Chăm H'roi people, the sound of chings and gongs is a special signal for people to connect with the Giàng, the gods. Therefore, the art of double drums, triple gongs, and quintuple chings is performed on many occasions such as weddings, funerals, and community festivals. During the proposal ceremony, it is like a reminder that the couple loves each other and is faithful. When someone passes away, its sound is sad and soft, like saying goodbye to the person who has passed away. It is artistic, entertaining, and sacred, meeting the spiritual needs of cultural heritage subjects.

In San Diu language, “soong” means to sing, “co” means to sing. Soong co singing of the San Diu people in Vinh Phuc is a unique folk performance that was born in the labor, production and community life of the San Diu people. Soong co singing is mainly about love dialogue and singing at weddings. Soong co is sung according to a book, with a pre-written score. The singer must know the song book by heart, they quote the lyrics in the book to sing riddles, the person answering also quotes appropriate sentences to sing in response to questions. They sing songs about love couple, nature, praise the loyalty of marital loyalty, praise the merits of grandparents and parents, teach people to live virtuously, humanely, and filially... Traditionally, the custom of singing Soong Co often takes place during the off-season, after harvesting crops in November and December of the lunar calendar, or during festivals, New Year's Eve, weddings, love songs, welcoming friends, brothers... Through actual surveys, the Soong Co of the San Diu people has about 1,000 songs. The language in Soong Co has a rustic origin, using onomatopoeia and ideograms quite richly and attractively. The way of addressing in Soong Co clearly shows the method of performing direct response singing, mainly in the first and second person. The basic characteristics of Soong Co music are expressed in melodies with 4 tones, sometimes 5 or 6 tones; The 4-tone scale is closely related to the 5-tone and 6-tone scales, appearing more often and creating a unique feature in the use of scales and singing rhythms. The rhythm in Soong Co singing is stable in duration, often using 2/4, 4/4 rhythm, sometimes free rhythm. Another outstanding feature in Soong Co music is that the pitch is not too large, the intervals are always successive, the high and low pitches are not high. The sounds a, ư, ơ, ơ, ơ... appearing at the beginning or end of the sentence mainly play the role of momentum notes, making the lyrics performed in an improvisational style, further enriching the musicality. With its typical value, Soong Co of the San Diu people in Lap Thach, Tam Dao, Binh Xuyen districts, Phuc Yen city, Vinh Phuc province was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2018.

Ngu Doi Temple Festival, also known as Doi Temple, is located on the left bank of the Red River in Duy Binh village, Vinh Ninh commune, Vinh Tuong district, Vinh Phuc province. Ngu Doi Temple Festival is held on the full moon day of the first lunar month every year to commemorate Saint Tan Vien, the hero who contributed to the land clearing and flood control since the Hung King founded the country. According to tradition, Ngu Doi Temple Festival is held every 3 years in the years: Ty, Ngo, Mao, Dau, which are the five great festivals taking place in 8 villages of Trung Hung commune; Vien Son commune (Son Tay - Hanoi) and Vinh Ninh commune. On the festival day, the villages organize together: carrying the Saint's palanquin from Va temple in Trung Hung commune to Ngu Doi temple, escorted by bamboo boats, with cheers, gongs, drums and singing. The palanquin procession and ceremony rituals are very typical and unique, such as: The "thu thuy" ceremony in the middle of the Red River. The procession of the “kiệu chóe” with hundreds of pedestrians, accompanied by the sound of drums and gongs, goes to the bank of the Red River, gets on a boat, circles up and down the Red River 3 times, then takes 9 ladles of water from a point where the coolest water source converges, puts them in an ancient jar, and offers them to Ngu Doi Temple, to respectfully perform the “moc duc” ritual - a very important ritual that is reenacted in every main festival day. When the procession of the Three Saints’ palanquin from Va Temple (Son Tay) arrives at the ferry, in Vinh Ninh Commune (Vinh Tuong), the rituals: “Yen vi ritual”, “moc duc ritual”, “Đốn ritual”, “Khai hoan ritual”... are solemnly held at Ngu Doi Temple. In addition, the “Tiến Đốn” ceremony also has a very typical and unique feature of the culture of the Doai region. The offering in the “Tiến Đốn” ceremony is a pig with its hair shaved, its intestines and liver removed, but a tuft of hair on its neck is left, respectfully offered to the Saint. After the "sacrificial" rituals were concluded, the procession of the palanquin back to the palace to be placed at Va Temple (Son Tay) took place very solemnly and respectfully. Besides, there were also folk games, parties... The festival is a convergence of community strength and conveys the aspirations for peace and prosperity of the people in the riverside alluvial land. This is a long-standing, typical, unique and famous festival of the Doai region. Through the festival, the relationship between the communities, especially the communities on both sides of the Left and Right banks of the Red River: Vinh Tuong - Son Tay, is increasingly close. The Ngu Doi Temple Festival was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2018.

Sacred texts representing the spirit, philosophy and teachings of the Buddha are chanted by the monks (Lamas) in the monasteries and villages of the Ladakh region. Buddhism in Ladakh has two sects: Mahayana - that follows the Sutra (treatise) tradition, based on the teachings of Budhha delivered in the form of public discourse; and Vajrayana - that follows a highly esoteric tradition based on the principles espoused by the Tantra practices. There are four major sects of Buddhism in Ladakh namely Nyngma, Kagyud, Shakya and Geluk. Each of these sects has several forms of chanting practised on diverse occasions as annual festivals; agrarian, life cycle healing rituals; for general well being, and to attain Buddhahood. Vajrayana Buddhism stresses the visualisation and recitation of Mantra through the practice of chanting. The chanting of Mantras is an integral part of Buddhist life in Ladakh. Buddhist Chanting is primarily practised in a group, by the monks. It is practised everyday in the monastic assembly hall as a prayer to the deities for world peace, and for personal growth of the practitioner. The villagers also patronise this tradition; they invite the monks to their homes for chanting on various occasions, such as family functions and important days in the agrarian calendar. In fact, on any given day, sounds of chanting can be heard in the villages all over Ladakh. It is a part of Ladakh’s daily life and cultural heritage. Monasteries work as the repository of knowledge and tradition, and as a channel for continuation and preservation of chanting. Buddhist chanting is highly evolved and stylised. The young monks are trained under strict and rigorous supervision of senior monks. Chanting texts are recited frequently till they are committed to memory. Thus chanting as a tradition is passed on from generation to generation as an oral practice and knowledge. The senior monks train young acolytes in the correct use of hand gestures ('mudra') that is an integral part of most chanting traditions. Bells, hand drums, flutes and the trumpets are usually used as accompaniments during chanting. They lend musicality and rhythm to the chanting. The four sects of Vajrayana Buddhism have their own different styles of chanting. Chanting styles can vary from one monastery to another, even if they belong to the same sect. In some sects, chanting is also accompanied with dance ('cham'), which is practised in the monastic courtyard. The Cham chantings of Hemis and Phyang, though they belong to the same sect of Kargyudpa, have entirely different chanting styles. The seven forms of chanting included in the dossier represent the diversity of the tradition practised in the Ladakh region. 1. Shargangrima - It is one of the most popular chanting of Gelukpa Sect. This is a eulogy recited by the Lamas as well as by the lay people in honour of Je Tzongkhapa who founded the Gelukpa sect in the 14th and 15th century. In Sargangrima, the chanters address Je Tzongkhapa as the second Budhha and celebrate him as the Son of the eastern province. 2. Nashthan Phyagzod -This chant uses musical instruments and 'mudras' (hand gestures) during chanting. It is a prayer for the 16 disciples or Arhats of the Budhha. Nashthan Phyagzod is chanted by the Lamas for all sects. The Arhats are the direct successors of the Buddha, the bearers of His teachings. The chant is a prayer to the Arhats to stay eternally on the earth for the sake of Dharma. At the end of each stanza, the chanters play drums, blow on a long flute and beat cymbals, providing a musical rhythm to the chanting. The monks symbolically offer music, dance, incense, flowers, lamps and food through 'mudras.' 3. Kunrig – This chant stresses on the internal visualisations by monks through repetitive chanting and 'mudras.' 4. Rigmachutuk – This chanting is performed by monks who dance in the courtyard of the monastery, wearing copper masks, silk robes and special shoes. It is based on two tantric texts. Rigmachutuk are the 16 fairy maidens or 'dakinis' who escort the titular Guru Padmasambhava in his Dharma missions. It is also performed during the funeral procession of senior monks. 5. Guru Mantra - This Mantra is recited by all followers of Mahayana tradition in Ladakh. This text is seen engraved on stones and metals and inscribed in flags and clothes all over this region. It is believed that this Mantra purifies the human beings of their sins. 6. Chod - It is a secret practice that is usually performed in the cemeteries. Chod requires great concentration and high meditative qualities. In this, the performer visualises that his consciousness has separated from his body, and has transformed into a deity. 7. Guhyasamaj Tantra – This chanting includes 'mudras' through which the monks emulate different missions of the Buddha. These chanting rites are performed all over Ladakh in various monasteries and villages. The nomination contains audio-visual documentation of performances conducted in strict adherence to scriptural guidelines, and under the guidance by the chief Lamas in the following monasteries. Thiksay Monastery Spituk Monastery Matho Monastery Hemis Monastery Phyang Monastery

India 2012

The name Zhana Ngacham comes from the zhana, black hats, worn by the dancers and the use of the ngachung, a small drum, during the Cham performance. It is another form of Zhana Cham, or black hat dance. Usually, the dance is performed by monks thus falls under the category of Tsun Cham, monks dance. Such dance is exhibited normally in fortresses, monasteries and temples during Tshechu, annual mask dance festivals and also during Drubchen, large ritual ceremonies. However, sometimes the monastic dancers are replaced by lay people if there are no suitable monks in the community. The dance falls under the category of Tsun cham, or monastic mask dance performances. The dancers wear a long brocade robe called phoe-gho with long and wide sleeve ends, a dorji gong, a crossed vajra collar, over the shoulder, and two phoe-cho or phoe-tog, bevels attached to either side of the hips that helps the robe turn smoothly and elegantly as the dancers twirl. The distinctive feature of the Black Hat dance is the black, spherical hat with decorations of stylized human skulls and peacock quills, and Thro-pang, an angry face wrapped around the front of the abdomen. Zhana Ngacham is usually performed by twenty-one dancers under the direction of Cham-pon, dance leader, and Cham-jug, deputy leader. In the seventeenth century, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651) gave more importance to the performance of such dances and including them in the curricula of the central monastery under the title Gar-thig-yang-sum, putting mask dances alongside mandala proportions and ritual intonation, to their cultural significance in Bhutan.